Nastasia
by 2012001
Summary: (Originally written in 2011.) "One last thing, dear..." He kneeled down, tilting her face up towards him and brushing her hair out of her eyes. "Your name." Her face was blank and expressionless as she replied: "Nastasia."


"Haah...now, who would've thought..."  
"...That the thing that killed her highness actually has a pretty little face? I never would have suspected."  
The two soilders eyed her warily. She glared back at them. Her hair was long and pink, her bangs covering her right eye, the left a brilliant red color. Her skin was blue, darker than the other two who had found her.  
"Go away," She snapped, eyes flashing. The two looked confused; her voice had a commanding tone to it, like she wanted something done, and she wanted it _now._  
"Sorry, doll," The one laughed. "You've been specifically picked out by his highness. He's been expecting you for quite some time now.."  
What had she done? They were all the same. Different from humans, yes, but when she killed, they were all the same.  
Oh, right.  
There was that one woman.  
Didn't people have the common sense not to walk alone at night? When all the creepers and demons came out?  
Demons...  
"Now," The other said, "Why don't we just head back?"

* * *

"My Lord..."  
Lord Xavier Macnair looked up from whatever it was he was doing. By the thrilled look on his servant's face, he knew.  
"Bring it in."  
The two soldiers from earlier threw her mercilessly into the room. She looked up at him, eyes narrowed. She knew her mistake had been seeing his outrage, and deciding to stay behind for a few precious moments of taunts and laughs before setting off. Big mistake.  
"It was you."  
Not a question, but a statement.  
"Does it surprise you that I never forget a face? Not a single one."  
"Not at all. After all, you follow your poor, unsuspecting prey, until the last moment..."  
"When I take their life, their soul?  
Xavier narrowed his eyes. "Yes.." He reached under his desk, standing up slowly. "..And did you know she was above you?"  
"No."  
He paused. Not above her? A demon? A pitiful little-  
"At the heart of it all, you and humans are really not that different." She flashed a smile. "You've evolved separately, true, but in the beginning, you were the same, and always will be.."  
Xavier threw the object in his hands at her. The knife sliced her shoulder, causing her to flinch in pain.  
"Don't. Compare. Me. To. _Them._ " He hissed.  
"I know there's a reason you kept me alive," She snapped. "So come on out with it."  
Xavier smiled. "Mhm. You know that reason. I've seen you..in your real form. Not in that horrid skin of yours."  
Horrid, hm? That wasn't the opinion of every single male she'd been pushed past on her way here. By their thoughts, and just by where their eyes fell on her, it was likely the exact opposite.  
"You're one to talk."  
"I've seen you in your true, demon form," Xavier continued. "A large, mutated creature...not something to be reckoned with."  
"You want me to serve you."  
"Isn't it nice? I've successfully put a beast from hell under my control." He strolled across the room, picking up the knife that had fallen to the ground. He flipped it around in his hands, smiling to himself. "And you know your power doesn't affect me."  
"Does it?" She asked, the same commanding tone to her voice. Her eyes flashed, but Xavier remained indifferent.  
"Interesting. I can hear you trying to make me let you off easy. You want me..." He looked at her, amusement clearly displayed. "...To kill you."  
"It's a two way street for me now," She admitted. "You've caught me. I can either serve you or die."  
Xavier's face briefly betrayed his sorrow. This woman...no, this _thing_...had murdered his beloved wife. The woman he loved. Killed her and made sure she wouldn't even enjoy the afterlife. And with the influence of the Dark Prognosticus, untouched, but leaving its small imprint on his race...he could easily kill her. Even a demon could fall to him. He was in control. His hand twitched, fingers curling around the knife...  
"...No."  
The woman looked surprised.  
"It'd be a waste."  
He set down the knife.  
"Lucky you," He said. "You get to live."  
The demon scowled. "Fuck you."  
"How un-lady like," He said, kicking her over. "Show some respect."  
"Never."  
"You will obey me and only me," Xavier snapped. "You are mine and mine alone. Anything that anyone else tells you...you report it right to me. Is that understood?"

She didn't want to respond, oh no, she did not. But she had no choice. It was already made for her.  
"...Of course."  
"Very well. I'll have someone show you out."  
The servant from earlier suddenly materialized from thin air. "My Lord."  
"Show her around, get her accustomed to her surroundings. Oh, and one last thing, dear..." He kneeled down, tilting her face up towards him and brushing her hair out of her eyes. "Your name."  
Her face was blank and expressionless as she replied;  
"Nastasia."

* * *

She knew Xavier had a son. She'd never seen him herself; he'd never seen her. Xavier made it quite clear that she wasn't to be anywhere near him. She wasn't about to stray from that promise. To the best of her knowledge, in human years, (Demons measured time differently, which made her far older, and they aged much slower as well,) she and the boy would be around the same age.  
He didn't have any big impact on her life, so she never gave him a second thought.  
Of course, when he had disappeared for a week, panic had broken out. She was forced to think about him.  
"I saw him go out for a walk," Nastasia said calmly. "He said he'd be back later."  
"How much later?" Xavier snapped. "He's been gone for days. We've searched all over and found nothing."  
"My Lord, I can help you, if you'd let me."  
Xavier stopped his frantic pacing. "..How so?"  
Nastasia gave a brief smile, but it was soon replaced by that emotionless look she favored. "I'm a natural predator, aren't I? It's easy enough for me to find one person."  
"Of course, why didn't I think of that?" Xavier said, smacking his forehead and laughing. "Ah, right! Because you need to know their face in order to find them!"  
Nastasia glared at him. Ungrateful-! She was offering to find his son. She knew beyond doubt if she knew his face, saw it one time, she'd be able to pick up on where he was.  
"I'm positive I could find a photograph anywhere in this castle," She said, tilting her head. "But I've so far kept to my promise of not wandering around."  
"...How quickly can you find someone with a face alone?"  
"It depends on how far they are," Nastasia said. "The farther the distance, the slower it takes. But if I knew what he looked like, I'd be able to find him right now..."  
She walked over to the window, overlooking a black, dark landscape. "I'd find him in less than two days, if he were all the way across the world. But I'm sure he's much closer than that."  
Xavier frowned. He didn't trust this woman completely, but that boy...something must have happened to him. Even if he had run away, they'd scoured the whole countryside for him. He'd have turned up.  
"...Fine," He said, turning and waving her out the door after him. "

* * *

It was nice, actually, do be able to do something that felt...natural for a change.  
The man in the picture Xavier had shown her was already familiar to her. Not because she had seen him, but because he looked so much like his father. The person she'd grown used to seeing every day. But the minute she handed the photograph back to Xavier, she knew that his son was a lot farther than he thought, but close enough.  
Now, another thing Nastasia could tell was emotion.  
It may have had something to do with her mind-controlling and hypnotizing abilities.  
But she could feel the fury coming from him the minute she told him. Xavier clicked his tongue, then turned around and broke into a run for the castle. Nastasia turned back towards where she could sense _him._ The place where the always-dark sky hanging over the Tribe of Darkness dissolved into a clear blue.  
The Tribe of Ancients.

* * *

Oh, but she could tell _his_ emotions, too. No one else had picked up on it, but to her, it was painfully obvious. The expression on his face, even the way he held himself. He would much rather be back there. She knew where he was sneaking back. Although...maybe she wouldn't have to tell his highness about it. After all, the boy hadn't _said_ anything. She was only supposed to report what she _heard._  
Yet, he still kept coming back. But he never spoke a word to her; she simply watched from afar. Had anyone looked right at her, she'd blend in with the scenery. Like a master of espionage. Oh, yes, the boy was in love. Not with anyone he should be with. A classical little tale of Romeo and Juliet.  
It wasn't until later when his father had noticed him. Where are you headed? Out for a walk. May I join you? Of course.  
He was lying, obviously. She wondered if the girl he was seeing would wait for him.  
After a while, Xavier headed back, with the boy waiting.  
Wait for it...wait for it...  
He broke into a run.  
And Xavier hadn't gone back.  
"Nastasia?" He asked. She was instantly by her master's side.  
"Yes?"  
"Follow."  
"...'K," She said. She allowed herself a tiny smile. This would be interesting. She wondered how it would play out.

* * *

"Blumiere."  
The boy's name. She had heard it before, but it was easier to call him 'the boy'. Said boy, Blumiere, and the girl, name unknown to Nastasia, suddenly broke apart. Blumiere shoved her away harder than he should have. Xavier's hateful glared turned to shock. Nastasia looked (To anyone who would have seen her) unaffected, other than her shivering.  
"Father! Thank Grambi. This girl.." He turned to look at her. From Nastasia's veiwpoint, his back was turned to his father, and she could see his face. He was a good liar, but his face was urging the girl; don't listen to anything I say. I don't mean it. Go. I'll explain later. Get out of here. "I had come to tell her the truth. That I wasn't going to see her anymore. That her spell wore off. Then she..threw herself at me, and..."  
And run. That was what his face said. Go along with it and run.  
The girl blinked; she could see as well as Nastasia could that he was lying. That didn't stop the sudden tears in her eyes, and she turned and ran.  
"Don't come back," Blumiere screamed after her. Come back. I want you to come back..

Xavier didn't have anything to say. Blumiere only walked away from him and Nastasia, muttering about 'stupid humans' and other nonsense. He was good.  
Nastasia followed her master, still hidden. She was still forbidden to show herself to the boy. He wasn't to know about her.  
But that didn't stop the nervous twitching she had when she saw the two together.

* * *

Being so in tune with emotions, people would easily assume that demons only fooled themselves into feeling them.  
In reality, they are just as capable of love and hate as humans or otherwise.  
And Nastasia didn't want to feel that.  
Demons measured time slowly, so she had lived a long time. Almost all relationships ended in heartbreak. Even the lasting ones...ended in the invetiable death.  
Despite not wanting to feel anything, it didn't stop her from finding herself wandering up towards Blumiere's chambers out of sheer boredom.  
Or so she told herself it was boredom.  
Instead, she found the window being slid open, and the boy jumping from it. She walked over to it, curious, even though she knew where he was headed.  
She was so interested in watching him leave, that she accidently stuck her hand _through_ the window.  
Crap, crap, crapcrapcrap.  
How would that be explained?  
She briefly thought of Blumiere...off with that human girl...and in frustration she smashed the rest of the windowpane.  
Double crap.  
Nastasia walked backwards and out the door. Maybe..maybe no one would notice. Maybe he'd find a way to fix it.

"Nastasia? What are you doing up here?"  
Triple crap.  
Xavier stood behind her, demanding and explanation. She had none except the truth, or the lie that wouldn't convince him. She couldn't lie to him.  
"I heard a crashing noise and hurried up here," She said. "I thought maybe Master had been hurt, or someone had broken in. Instead..."  
No, Nastasia. Turn around and stop yourself. Now.  
"...I found _this._ "  
Xavier stepped past her into the room, taking it in. The open and broken window, the bed that should have had a sleeping form in it, or at least a very confused one as to why the window was broken.  
"Wh-wh...Blumiere...where could he..?!"  
Nastasia walked over to the window, picking up a shard of glass. "It seems he lied," She said, looking at her reflection. "He's escaped you."  
"Where could he have gone?!"  
"Uh, I think it's rather obvious. He left to be with that girl."  
Xavier looked stunned.  
"You know it's true," Nastasia said. She had no choice but to continue. "you can see it in his eyes. They're in love.."  
Hoping he didn't notice the sudden change of tone on the last word, Nastasia turned to face him. "Showing up now would only ruin it. He'd pull the same excuse. But, um...I think you should just, you know, maybe tighten security around her or something. In case he tries sneaking out again?"  
Ugh, that was horrible. But Xavier paid no attention to her.  
"When he returns," Xavier said calmly, "I have something to ask of him. But that can wait until the morning. Some things, however...can't."  
He turned and walked out of the room. Nastasia looked over at the portrait on the opposite wall. It was only what was expected of her. To tell the master everything she knew.  
She threw the shard, lodging it precisely on the picture of Xavier, right in the middle of his face.  
He wasn't the only master of the household.  
But he was the only master who knew about her, so she could only watch from afar.

* * *

"Blumiere, you seem more...reserved, lately."  
"I don't see how, father."  
Nastasia was standing outside the door, where the two were eating dinner. She could imagine Xavier smirking at Blumiere, and the boy staring back. She knew what had happened.  
"You know, it's nice, not having that girl hanging all over you, hm?"  
She could imagine Blumiere freezing.  
"Yes, what an ugly thing. But not to worry. I think she got your message.  
A slamming sound.  
"My message, or yours, _father?_ "  
Xavier's amused face as Blumiere stood up.  
"I don't know what you could mean," he said.  
"You know damn well what I mean!" Blumiere snapped. "I-"  
"Don't start that with me," Xavier said, his own voice rising. "You know nothing about them. She's using you."  
"YOU don't know anything!"  
"I know more than you will ever, ever know, Blumiere," Xavier screamed. Blumiere was silent. "You have no idea what you're getting yourself in. Look what has become of you."  
"Become of me?" Blumiere suddenly laughed. "Of me?! You think something's wrong with ME?!"  
"You seem convinced that nothing's wrong with you, but something is."  
"I LOVE HER," Blumiere screamed. Nastasia's heart sank. "But, you wouldn't know what love even is. No wonder."  
Xavier was silent.  
"What you feel for this girl isn't love," He said. "You've been manipulated into thinking it is."  
Blumiere was silent. She imagined him shaking in rage.  
"I feel bad for you," Blumiere muttered. "I feel bad for you for thinking that. She's just a girl, and you had to attack her like that!"  
"She deserved to know what would happen if she stayed."  
"Well, she's been avoiding me like the plague. Happy?"  
"Quite."  
Nastasia flinched. Not the best response, 'master'.  
"I hate you," Blumiere said. He definitely was trembling now. "Get out of my life."  
"You don't have a right to tell _me_ what I can and can't do."  
"We'll make a life for ourselves, one where you can't intrude anymore. You think you know everything about her, but you don't. Her name is Timpani Macnair, father. She's a wonderful girl, and..."  
He trailed off.  
Both Nastasia and Xavier fell silent. Blumiere stayed put.  
"You can't be serious," Xavier laughed at last. "Honestly. All of this...is just ridiculous."  
There was a loud smashing noise.  
"YOU IDIOTIC CHILD," Xavier hollered. "LOOK AT YOURSELF. YOU'RE AS BAD AS HER!"  
"Maybe that's so," Blumiere said calmly. "But then that's all for the better."  
"...Get out. Now. I don't want to look at you."  
"With pleasure, Xavier."  
Blumiere stormed out of the room, brushing past Nastasia and not giving another look back. He turned towards his room and didn't come back out.  
"Go to your place, Nastasia," Xavier snarled. "Before I move you there by force."  
"Yes," She said, turning and walking for the door outside.  
 _I love her. I love her. I love her..._  
She made sure to slam to door hard on her way.

* * *

Nastasia was standing near the door when she heard him. He was wearing all white, dressed up to go nowhere. Or so it seemed.  
"Young master, I can't let you through."  
Blumiere faltered. "Who-?"  
"Master Xavier said I can't let you out. He said if you do, I need to tell him right away."  
"Who are you?" He demanded. Nastasia had made sure she couldn't be seen, other than a vague shape in the shadows. Even her voice had that demonic tone to it.  
"I'm the only person here who you can trust to let you free."  
Blumiere hesitated, then narrowed his eyes. "Of course. So you can go running off to make it appear as if I had snuck out."  
"Please," Nastasia suddenly begged, grabbing his arm. Blumiere jumped. "Just listen to me. Please. Just...go."  
He broke free of her grip, looking bewildered.  
"I..I...I won't tell Xavier anything."  
Xavier.  
Not master, not Lord Xavier.  
Xavier.  
"I know where you go all the time. To be with that girl. Just go. Be happy. I want to see you happy."  
She did.  
It sounded wrong out of her mouth, but she really did.  
He looked astounded. She had to keep herself from stepping out of the shadows and showing her true face, true voice..  
She looked at him, hiding herself from his view. His face had a lonely look to it, one she noticed on him ever since that night when he fought with his father. One that she wanted to see changed. She sensed that he had no plans to come back to this castle, and she reached out for him.  
He watched her, but all she did was let her arms fall back to her sides, back in the shadows. She didn't want him to see her.  
"She's waiting. Even if she isn't, I know...I know better than anyone, she's waiting for you."  
Blumiere looked at her. From his point of view, all he could see was the shadows and a faint trace of a person. And her arms, obviously. But he could hear her sincerity.  
"...Thank you. So much."  
He turned and walked away.

* * *

Gone.  
He's gone.  
Where was he?  
Probably with that girl.  
Ran away.  
Gone.  
Xavier knew it. He asked Nastasia. She said he must have slipped out another way past her. Xavier knew she was lying, but turned and ran into the night. She sat down and waited for him.  
He knew where she was, even if he didn't know where Blumiere was. He'd come back for her later.

* * *

"Bring Nastasia to me, please."  
Xavier was a mess. He'd spent the day looking for them and found them. They hadn't wandered far. He knew where to find them, and he knew how to get there. Now he would deal with it.  
But first..  
The same guards brought Nastasia to him. A little bit of déjà vu, there. The same manner as when she was first brought to him, but this time...  
She'd served him already.  
There were only two choices, and one was already taken.  
Only one left.  
"You lied to me," He said. "You let him out. Why? Before I deal away with you...why, is all I want to know."  
She could tell him the truth now. It made to difference. He held her future in his hands; a long, black staff, with a large blue gem on the top. She could see her face reflected in it. She could easily be written off as a member of the Tribe of Darkness, her face the same blue as Blumiere's, as Xavier's.  
"We all deserve happiness. For him, that was being with her."  
"No one seems to know what happiness is nowadays, hm?" Xavier said. He grabbed Nastasia by her collar. "None of you know happiness. Especially you...traitor."  
He threw her with little effot across the room. She crashed into the wall, sinking to the floor in a broken heap. She tried moving her body, and couldn't. Even demons were below him. She was going to die.  
It was the only choice.  
"I was willing to give you a chance, you traitor. I knew you killed my wife. I knew you killed his mother. I was willing to ignore it, write it off as part of your nature, you didn't know. But now I have no mercy."  
"Wait," Nastasia said.  
Xavier did.  
"..I was willing to serve you. I was. Really. But...the boy..your son..Blumiere..." She looked at him, wanting to get it off her chest before she had to go.  
"...I fell in love."  
Xavier threw the staff through her chest. Nastasia didn't fell it, but hacked up blood.  
"You don't know love. You don't know happiness. YOU DON'T KNOW ANYTHING!"  
He began whacking her mindlessly with the staff, Nastasia taking each hit.  
"YOU! HER! HIM! YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT YOU TALK ABOUT. Especially you."  
He grabbed her hair. Nastasia looking sadly back at him as he smashed her head against the ground.  
"YOU'RE A _DEMON!_ YOU DON'T HAVE A HEART TO LOVE _WITH!_ "  
Nastasia lay on the floor before him as he straightened up. She could see him, knew she should be in a world of hurt, but she couldn't feel anything.  
Except a crushing sorrow.  
He was right.  
She was a demon.  
He'd never love her.  
She'd never compare to Timpani.  
Never.  
She wanted this to be over.  
It should have been this way in the beginning. She would never have had to have her heart broken by that boy...that man...as he walked away from her. As she sank to her knees and sobbed.  
She wanted to die.  
The minute the thought ran through her head, Xavier lifted her broken body into his arms.  
"I have a good idea as to what to do with you."  
She blinked slowly. Slowly, everything was falling away from her. No sorrow, no heartbreak, nothing but the physical pain. No memories, no hardships, no centuries of roaming the worlds as a demon.  
She was only Nastasia, and this stranger's face was blurred. He murmured something, and she felt the scenery change. She felt something tightening around her body.  
Then she fell asleep.

* * *

...

Urgh. This trap. It made her hurt so much..she'd been in there for weeks, she knew. She could keep time. But she couldn't quite remember why she was in a trap.  
What did she do?  
She felt out of place, too. She knew this form, this tiny little black bat, wasn't her real self. She wanted to be freed.  
She struggled, letting out a small noise to alert anything to her presence.  
Suddenly, she felt herself being set free.  
She was free.  
She fluttered, looking at the thing that had released her.  
A man stood before him, his bright red eyes watching her.  
She felt suddenly heavy, and flew away.

She woke up some time later, back in what she knew was her real body. Getting awkwardly to her feet, she remembered the strange man. The one who made her feel all strange.  
She felt his presence somewhere nearby, but she didn't know how she knew that. She stumbled off looking for him.

And she found him. He didn't take to her appearing too well; a sudden face in the darkness.  
But her heart started beating quickly. Not out of fear; fear would be rational now, though. His face was twisted, and she thought it didn't look right on him.  
It was more...out of attraction.  
She suddenly smiled.  
"...Thank you."


End file.
